Here is Mark Shuttleworth demonstrating Ubuntu Phone on CES 2013: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO7QbCqFY7Y. He closes with the remark that vision is for the Ubuntu Phone to be able to be dockable; so you dock it to large touch display to get a tablet; dock it to a screen and keyboard to get a desktop; dock it to your TV and you have a media center. All from the same phone. Not sure how Linux Mint fits into that picture, but I'm impressed with the vision!

Android uses the Linux kernel. Ubuntu for phones uses the Linux kernel. Jolla uses the Linux kernel. So not sure what you mean

While Android uses the Linux kernel, programs are actually written for the Dalvik platform. Ubuntu for phones on the other hand is a full GNU/Linux operating system, with most of the standard GNU/Linux libraries and programs. I haven't delved into Jolla beyond confirming it uses the Linux kernel, but I imagine it is more like Ubuntu for phones than Android.

You might be mixing up Ubuntu for Android, which has been around for a while, and Ubuntu for phones, which is just recently made public. While both run currently on phones that can or do also run Android, the former is a program on top of Android while the latter is an alternative to Android.

Looks promising though not very responsive. The launcher implementation seems awkward to me, that you have to swipe from left edge and in, and then keep your finger on the screen and release to select. Why not simply swipe to reveal and tap to select?

Other than that it's gonna be exciting to follow it development.

And to OP: What is it Linux Mint could do with a smartphone that Ubuntu can't? Add a window list to the top panel?

Thank you for this thread. That’s all I can say. You most definitely have made this forum into something special. You clearly know what you are doing, you’ve covered so many bases. Thanks!

xenopeek wrote:Android uses the Linux kernel. Ubuntu for phones uses the Linux kernel. Jolla uses the Linux kernel. So not sure what you mean

Umm I'm pretty clear about what Ubuntu for Android is, which to me looks like VM-ized app that I won't ever use. But I guess I read this GSMarena article wrong then where it says "Although it is based on the Android kernel, Ubuntu does not use the Dalvik Virtual Machine that Android does so apps are incompatible between the two."

That aside I won't mind giving this a go. Apparently come February something should be up for the Galaxy Nexus. My phone are similarly specced so here's to crossing my toes for any devs to port that.